As Told by the Singer
by V. Emily
Summary: Hurrah for the iPod challenge! Kensi/Deeks one-shots that are mostly independent of each other. I'll update as often as I can. Genre changes depending on the song. Chapters 1-3: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort. Chapter 4: Romance/Some humor. Chapter 5: Angst/Hurt/Comfort. Chapters 1-3's plot is with OC that is NOT a love interest.
1. Chapter 1

**I've been meaning to take the iPod challenge for a little while now, so here goes nothing! These are one-shots that, just for emphasis in case you didn't guess, are COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF EACH OTHER. Just to warn you, I have strange tastes in music sometimes - or so a friend of mine would assure me. XD Well, without further ado, here's the first one-shot in my Kensi-and-Deeks-iPod-music-shuffle undertaking.**

**NOTE: I plan to do at least five of these, perhaps more if anyone wants them. Please let me know via review, as my PM option is disabled.**

**And finally, DISCLAIMER: If I owned NCIS: Los Angeles, I'd be writing scripts and not fan-fictions.**

* * *

**SONG #1: "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts **

**_My wish for you_**

_**Is that this life becomes all that you want it to**_

_**I hope you never look back but you never forget**_

_**All the ones that loved you in the place you left**_

* * *

"This one is for champion of the world!" declared Deeks, crumpling a ball of paper (the receipt from the place where he'd bought breakfast - or at least, he sure _hoped _it was) and taking careful aim at the wastebasket that had been dragged to the center of the bullpen.

"Don't think so, Deeks," Sam shook his head as he crumpled his own makeshift basketball. "G and I have been playing wastebasketball for a lot longer than you have."

"Technically, it's recyclingball," Callen pointed out. "Either way, I'm going to win."

"You go on believing that," Deeks shrugged. "While I sneak up and steal the title."

"Good luck, Shaggy," Sam said with a smug smile. "Take your shot."

"You know what?" Deeks raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his office chair. "I'm going to let you guys go first. My shot is going to be more of a grand finale."

"Really, now?" Callen smirked. "Well, if that's how you're going to play..."

Callen took a moment to focus on his target, then threw the paper ball upper-hand towards the recycling bin. It bounced off the rim and landed with a defeated *plop* on the floor. Callen gaped while Sam chuckled and Deeks laughed so hard that his sides hurt.

"How did I miss that?" Callen exclaimed, unbelieving. "I should've had that shot!"

"Sorry, G," Sam said. "My turn. Watch and learn, Deeks."

Sam spent a long time taking aim. He looked so concentrated that Deeks couldn't help but cough loudly just as the older agent drew back to throw his ball. Focus broken, the ball missed the wastebasket by a few inches.

"What was that, Deeks?" demanded Sam. "You distracted me."

"Distracted you?" Deeks threw up his hands in an 'I'm-innocent' gesture. "Dude, you can take this to court, but I'll win. I'm a lawyer."

Sam gave the liaison a withering glare but didn't push the argument.

"Are you guys ready?" Deeks asked, readying his shot. "Because this is going to blow your minds. Champion of the world, here I come."

Just then, Kensi came into view and paused at the entrance of the bullpen, staring in mild confusion at the wastebasket's new position.

"Morning, sunshine!" Deeks chimed happily. "You're just in time to watch me make the perfect shot and claim the title."

"Or so he thinks," interjected Callen.

"This one's for you, princess," Deeks told her, then launched the paper ball into the air. Callen and Sam watched in dismay as it ended its perfect arc by landing in the bin. Deeks jumped from his chair, throwing his arms up in celebration.

"Champion of the world!" he announced.

"At least until the next game," mentioned Callen.

Deeks looked delightedly at his partner. "Celebratory hug? I won that one for you, Fern."

But his mood deflated when he caught sight of her puffy eyes and anxious expression. Judging from the bags under those eyes that he loved, she hadn't gotten much sleep. She'd done a bad job of covering it up, too.

"Kensi?" Deeks asked concernedly. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Deeks..." she murmured. "I..." she trailed off.

"What happened?" inquired Callen as he and Sam rose from their desks.

"I can't...I can't tell you," Kensi sighed. "But I have to go."

"Go?" repeated Deeks. "Where? When? How long?"

He was already computing how long he'd be able to go without her. He simply concluded that the answer was "not long".

"Now," Kensi answered. "I can't tell you where. And I don't know for how long."

There was a long silence. Callen and Sam finally wished her the best, and expressed that they hoped to see her again soon.

"Can you give me a minute with Kensi?" asked Deeks, taking a deep breath. The two older agents nodded solemnly and left the bullpen.

"Kensi, what's happening?" he wondered worriedly. "You can't leave."

"I need to," Kensi insisted. "I'm ready to go. I can't stay here anymore. Not for a while, at least."

"Please, just tell me why."

Kensi considered this for what seemed like an eternity before she finally whispered a single word.

"Jack."

Deeks let silence settle between himself and his partner. After a while, he murmured, "You don't need to leave. I'm right here. I'll always be here."

"I'm sorry, Deeks," Kensi shook her head. "I'm sorry. This isn't fair to you."

"Forget me; it's not fair to yourself!" Deeks exclaimed. "Kensi, you can't just-"

"I can, and I need to," Kensi sighed. "I plan to see you again sometime, when this is all over. I don't know where each of us will be then, but I'll find you. I promise. Deeks," she met his eyes. "You need to know that I love you, that I always have, okay? I know that when I find you again someday, it'll probably be too late for that to matter. But right now, I wanted to tell you that."

"I love you, too," he responded, eyes clouding. Kensi pulled him into a hug. Deeks wished they never had to part.

When they at last did pull away, Kensi looked into his blue eyes one last time. _"Well," _she thought. _"Not the _last _time, if I can help it."_

"Goodbye, Kens," Deeks said.

"Till next time," Kensi replied, offering him a small smile. She shouldered her hefty duffle bag, then turned and began to leave the bullpen.

"Wait," Deeks called. She spun around slowly to face him again.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Kensi, I know we're gonna be apart..." he began. "And I don't like that idea at all, but...I hope everything goes well. And, uh, remember your favorite surfer-" he grinned with a hint of his trademark happy-go-lucky demeanor despite the circumstances. "-that'd be me, by the way. I hope so, at least. Anyway, remember me, just not too often. I'm not saying to necessarily _forget_ me, but, um...I guess what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't dwell on this. Just go and do what you need to do, okay? And have some fun."

Kensi smiled broadly at her partner with gratitude. "Thanks, Deeks," she said sincerely.

"I want the best for you," added Deeks quietly. "And that won't change now. So even if I'm not a part of it...have a good time."

"Bye, Deeks," Kensi said softly.

"Later, Fern. Oh, and Kensi?"

"Yes?"

"I'll leave the door unlocked. In case this whole 'thing' thing has a chance to work."

"I'm assuming you mean a metaphorical door."

"Well, yeah. It _is _L.A."

Kensi laughed. "Right."

The junior agent walked out of the OSP building, the door closing behind her with a final bang.

And then she was gone.

"_But maybe not forever,"_ thought Deeks. He absentmindedly crumbled a sheet of paper from his desk, not caring if it happened to be that mission report he needed to fill out. Aiming carefully, he tossed the ball into the wastebasket that still stood - completely indifferent to the parting of the two partners - in the middle of the bullpen. It landed gracefully in the bin.

"That one's for you, princess."

* * *

**Well. That's more major-arc material than it is one-shot material. Whatever, I'm actually somewhat satisfied with this. I'm just going to publish it before I edit it to death. Blooming writers, don't follow my example. Editing is good.**

**So what'd you all think of it? Would you like to see some more iPod-challenge one-shots? -V.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Mkay, so a couple of you said in the reviews that part one's story could be made into a few chapters. I wasn't planning on writing it that way until I got today's song - "I Won't Let Go", also by Rascal Flatts (I have a lot of their music on my iPod). The theme of the song would fit perfectly for a continuation of part one, so here we go. Since I don't know what song will come next and if it can be made relevant to this little plot, I'm going to semi-sum it up, leaving myself a small opening in case I do get the opportunity to continue. Enjoy!**

**So, in summary: disregard for now what I said in part one about the chapters being completely independent. Chapters two and one are officially a plot, though I can't promise that any others will also be part of this miniseries.**

* * *

**SONG #2: "I Won't Let Go" by Rascal Flatts**

**_I will stand by you_**

_**I will help you through**_

_**When you've done all you can do**_

_**And you can't cope**_

_**I will dry your eyes**_

_**I will fight your fight**_

_**I will hold you tight**_

_**And I won't let go.**_

**(A very pretty song! Even without the music, the lyrics are gorgeous.)**

* * *

It had been forever since she'd left that day.

Well, not forever.

Not even close to forever.

But in a world where Deeks was apart from Kensi, it sure seemed that way.

In the world that everyone else lived in, it had been seven hundred and eighty-nine days, over two years. The team had solved sixty-three cases. Every game Deeks won of wastebasketball, he won for Kensi. And every serious talk with Sam or Callen (or both, depending on how bad he'd missed her that day) about how he should try to let go and move on, he tried to take to heart and failed. His own advice to Kensi not to think about her partner too much didn't seem to be working for him.

The worst part of this new "arrangement" (i.e., Kensi up and leaving) was that Deeks had been left without a partner. That had been fixed within the month. Either it had been some lame attempt to help him cope, or Director Vance had wanted to see what reaction he would get out of the LAPD liaison, but for whatever reason, they had paired him up with the lovely new rookie, Brooklyn Yvonne Wyatt. A _woman_. If Deeks had sworn off female partners before, he sure had now.

There really wasn't anything wrong with Brooklyn ("Brooke", as she liked to be called). She was a new graduate, just like Dom had been, and that made everyone on the team immediately wary of her abilities. It wasn't because she was necessarily a _bad _agent, but no one wanted a repeat of the Dom situation.

In fact, there was a lot that was absolutely great about Brooke. She was funny, she was smart (top of her class at the academy, actually) and she was the epitome of loveliness. Her auburn hair feel perfectly about her shoulders, and her eyes - the same blue as Deeks's, if not a few shades lighter - always sparkled happily. Sam and Callen welcomed her readily, feeling it was best to move on with one big leap. They teasingly called her "Rookie Brookie" to get on her nerves. Their favorite question to ask of her was "why?" because they found the amount of y's in her name amusing. They had even half-expected Deeks to find her attractive, and maybe flirt with her effortlessly as he had with Kensi.

And under different circumstances, he might have. Might have, if he hadn't met Kensi first.

Now flirting shamelessly with his partner was a routine he felt only belonged in the Kensi-Deeks partnership and nowhere else. Except, now that the said partnership no longer existed, he made no move to flirt with his current partner. Actually, he made no move to flirt with anyone. At all. Since Kensi had left, Deeks had only ever wanted one person's love. And he'd wanted it more now than he had wanted it when the two were partnered, and back in those days, he hadn't thought such a thing was possible.

The result of Kensi leaving was a very melancholy Deeks. Some days were better than others. Some days, when he was alone in the bullpen (and even once or twice when he wasn't) he would cry. Some days, he didn't go to work at all. Some days, the mild depression meds he'd been prescribed really worked, and he was almost the same old clown he had been before. On those days, Brooke greatly enjoyed the company of her partner. She wasn't at all attracted to him, though admittedly she found him handsome. Perhaps part of the reason that she didn't feel right in flirting with Marty Deeks was because she could tell he was mourning. Callen and Sam had mentioned that Deeks had lost a partner and a good friend, but didn't want to tell her more without Deeks's permission. And no one wanted to ask for it.

One day, Callen, Sam, and Brooke all left the OSP for a quick lunch break. Deeks had somberly replied that he wasn't hungry, and had opted to stay behind. Once he was alone, he dug out a photograph from inside his desk. He often looked at it when he was sure no one was watching him. There it was, a perfect picture of Kensi as Melissa, standing in front of their cover house. Before he could stop them, the familiar sensation of tears was in his eyes, and then on his cheeks.

"Marty?"

Deeks looked up, alarmed, at the sound of Brooke's voice. He hurriedly wiped away tears and began to stash the picture back in his desk, but Brooke stepped forward and seized his arm in mid-action.

"What're you doing back?" asked Deeks, the muscles in his arm protesting Brooke's grip.

"May I?" Brooke inquired softly, loosening but not dissolving her hold on Deeks's arm.

Deeks wanted badly to say no. He didn't want to share any piece of Kensi with this person, no matter if they had been partners for over two years. He thought back. At this point in his partnership with Kensi, he'd already been sure that he was in love. Looking at Brooke, he realized how little he really knew about her.

All of a sudden, Deeks felt the burning desire to share Kensi's memory with someone. After keeping her exclusively his for all this time, he wanted someone else to know her, even if it was only through storytelling. Deeks handed the picture to Brooke.

"She's pretty," observed Brooke. "Marty, is this your partner?"

"She was," Deeks replied quietly. "Kensi. Kensi Blye."

"Sam and Callen say she's gone," Brooke continued. "Deeks, did she die?"

"No," Deeks answered straight away. "No. She left. She...there was a person here she couldn't face."

Brooke paled. Almost abashedly, she asked, "Was it you?"

"Of course not!" Deeks cried, looking at his partner with hurt. He lowered his voice and his eyes. "Of course not," he repeated, almost inaudibly. "I could never hurt her. Not on purpose."

Brooke looked at the picture of the smiling brunette once more.

"You loved her."

"No," denied the man, serious as anyone had ever heard him. "I _love_ her. I never stopped."

"That's why you're so sad all the time," said Brooke. "Callen and Sam say you used to be happy all the time. Annoying, even."

Deeks mouth flickered into a smile for an instant. "Yeah, they never could stand me."

"I think they want the old Marty back."

Deeks gave her a quizzical gaze. "You think so?"

"Yeah," replied Brooke. "Even I think it would be great to have a partner who actually talks to me."

"Sorry," Deeks sighed. "I really don't mean to ignore you, Brooke, but...you remind me so much of Kensi."

"I know you love her, but why are you having such a hard time with coping?" Brooke wondered aloud.

"Because she said she might be back someday, and...and I'm still waiting for her."

"Well, Marty," Brooke said, taking a seat at her desk. "I'll always be right here for you to talk to. If you want to, that is."

"You know what, Brooke?" Deeks mentioned, looking at her with satisfaction. "You aren't a half-bad partner."

"Likewise, Marty. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"That's a great love story you've got going there. It's got summer blockbuster written all over it."

Deeks did a double-take, recognizing the comment as his own from long before he met Brooke. Then he grinned broadly for the first time in a long while.

"You know, Kensi's favorite movie is a big blockbuster," he said. "_Titanic_. She was always embarrassed about it, but I thought it was kind of cool that such a tough-girl agent could fall for such a chick-flick of a movie."

Brooke smiled. "You wanna tell me about her?"

After a moment of thinking, Deeks glanced down at Kensi's photograph. Such an intricate and unique person, Kensi Blye, one he'd loved - and still loved - everything about. All those little facts and quirks of hers that he'd guarded these past two years like they were dragon's gold...wasn't he tired of keeping her all bottled up?

"Yeah. I'd love to, Brooke."

* * *

**I actually have a couple more things I can do with this plot. I'll try to continue it if I get the right song. Thanks for reading! I'd love any thoughts/suggestions/plain old comments you could offer me! :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for your reviews, everyone! A few of you have made song suggestions, and I'm grateful for those, but this particular challenge is to take the song that comes on during shuffle, so I can't choose. But I might do a different song-fic series later on, and maybe then I will take suggestions. Thank you! :)**

**Note: In this chapter, I mention a "San Francisco Law Enforcement Academy". Maybe there is one, but I just picked a random California city and gave it a fictional police academy. XD Let's just roll with it.**

* * *

**SONG #3: "Into the West" by Howard Shore and Annie Lennox**

**(Hm. This is from _The Lord of the Rings_ soundtrack...XD Not going to be an easy one, but I can try. NOTE: This will be a continuation of the plot I started in chapters one and two. Another note: This song is beautiful, too - lyrics, music, and vocals!)**

**What can you see**

**On the horizon?**

**Why do the white gulls call?**

**Across the sea**

**A pale moon rises**

**The ships have come**

**To carry you home.**

**(and:)**

**Don't say**

**We have come now to the end**

**White shores are calling**

**You and I will meet again.**

* * *

"She hadn't seen _Raiders of the Lost Ark_!" Deeks remembered with a laugh. "She lied and said she had, but she really hadn't. I made her watch it with me that night, and she loved it."

Callen and Sam were as surprised as they'd ever been, but they laughed along with the detective as he recounted memory after memory of Kensi. Just this morning, he'd been the silently-suffering Deeks that he had become after his partner's leaving, but now he was sitting in the bullpen, laughing it up. Brooke listened with contented eyes as Deeks told his favorite stories about his old partner.

"And then there was the time when the 5-0 boys came to L.A.," continued Deeks. "I thought she was flirting with Danny. I teased her for it, too."

"Did you tease her for absolutely everything?" Brooke asked bemusedly, sensing a trend of mocking in Deeks's stories.

"Yeah, pretty much," Deeks said with a shrug. "That's what partners do."

"Well, if you tease me, I'll tease you back," promised Brooke.

"I expect nothing less," was Deeks's reply.

That evening, he left the bullpen as soon as work let out. Usually, these past couple of years, he'd stay behind and reminisce about the glory days spent working in this very office, just yards away from Kensi. But that night, he went home to spend some quality time with his dog and maybe turn on the TV. One of those crime dramas he liked to watch could be coming on. For the first time in ages, he didn't bring Kensi's picture home with him, just left it on his desk.

As Callen and Sam gathered their things, they talked with Brooke, who still sat at her desk. She was typing furiously on the keyboard of her laptop.

"You worked a miracle today, Brooke," Callen informed her. "Deeks hasn't talked about Kensi like that since she left."

"I thought he talked about her all the time," Brooke said, looking up from her work on the computer.

"Yeah, but never like he did today," Sam answered. "It's always 'Kensi would've liked this' or 'I wish she could see that'."

"Today he actually laughed," Callen mentioned. "He's getting better."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say Nate's talked to him," chuckled Sam. "But he's about three thousand miles away on a classified mission."

"You might consider adding psychologist to your resume," suggested Callen. Brooke laughed.

"We're gonna head out," Sam said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Callen did the same.

Before following his partner out of the bullpen, Callen turned to Brooke's desk and asked, "Are you going to stay here and work on that all night?"

"Oh, this?" Brooke smiled and gestured to her laptop. Callen nodded. "Not all night," she replied. "I just have a project to work on."

"Okay," Callen smirked. "But when I find you asleep at your desk tomorrow, I get to say 'I told you so'."

"Deal," Brooke nodded, and Callen left.

After about fifteen minutes of working, Hetty entered the bullpen and strode purposefully over to Brooke's desk.

"Ms. Wyatt," Hetty began. "Eric tells me you're working on a project."

"How does _Eric _know I'm working on a project?" asked the agent in confusion.

"Well, more specifically, it was Nell who tapped onto your computer history," replied Hetty in her matter-of-fact manner. "We noticed you've been using your laptop more than usual, Agent Wyatt."

"I'm just..." Brooke trailed off, then started over. "I'm doing Deeks a small favor."

"Oh, but according to Mr. Beale, it's a much bigger favor than you'd have me believe," Hetty shook her head. Brooke looked nervously down at her hands, which she had folded in her lap.

"You're looking for her," said Hetty softly.

"I can find her," Brooke looked back up at her boss, eyes blazing with youthful determination. "I know I can."

"Ms. Blye was one of our most talented agents. She was a member of the OSP and highly skilled in undercover work. I don't doubt your ability, Ms. Wyatt, but Agent Blye will have gone to every possible precaution to protect her true identity."

Brooke sighed. "I know," she murmured. "But I have to try, don't I? She's out there somewhere. If I can't bring her home, I can at least let Deeks know she's okay."

Hetty paused, then said, "Well, good luck, Ms. Wyatt. Do get some sleep at some point."

"Yes, Hetty."

**- Nearly two months later:**

"Natalie Sandler?" Brooke inquired of the brunette, but she needn't have asked. She knew from the minute the woman opened the door that she had the right person. Her heart swelled with the pride of her success.

"Yes," answered the brunette warily. "Can I help you?"

"_She looks exactly like she did in Deeks's photo!" _ Thought Brooke to herself. Out loud, she replied, "Yeah, um...my name is Brooklyn Wyatt. May I come in?"

Kensi Blye didn't make a move to open the front door of her one-story house any wider. "What do you need?" she asked.

"To talk to you," said Brooke. "Please. This is important. I'm, uh, I'm here on business. I heard you're one of the San Francisco Law Enforcement Academy's best instructors."

"Their words, not mine," Kensi smiled tightly. "Are you thinking of applying?"

"Yes, but I'd like to ask you some questions, Ms. Sandler," Brooke replied.

"The information center on the campus would probably better suited for that," suggested Kensi, starting to close the door.

"Wait! Please?" Brooke begged, sticking her foot in the doorframe and wincing at the pressure. Kensi stopped pushing the door closed.

"Why do you want to talk to me so badly?" Kensi asked with annoyance and suspicion.

Brooke closed her eyes for a moment, and then, opening them, answered with the truth. "I work in Los Angeles."

Kensi's eyes widened briefly before she regained her composure. "You have to leave now," she ordered.

"You didn't even listen to what I have to say!" Brooke exclaimed. "Please, come on. This is really important. I've been waiting months to talk to you!"

"Who made you find me?" demanded Kensi. "Jack Darrowby? Tell him to stay away!"

"No! Not Jack," insisted Brooke. "I found you on my own...well, Nell and Eric had to help a little, but-"

Brooke realized her slip too late. Kensi's breathe caught in her throat and rare tears - more frequent since she left, but still not a regular occurrence - collected below her eyes.

"You're...you're from OSP?" Kensi asked weakly.

Brooke nodded, deciding that to lie would do her no good. "Brooklyn Wyatt, NCIS. You're Kensi Blye, former NCIS, OSP."

Kensi chuckled nervously. "Haven't been called that in over two years." She sighed. "Better come inside, then."

Brooke followed Kensi into the small home, trying to stifle a laugh as she took in how messy it was. Deeks had claimed she was a fan of cleanliness, just not of cleaning.

"What do you do at the OSP?" asked Kensi, sitting on a battered couch. Brooke sat across from her on a stuffed armchair that was riddled with coffee stains.

"I'm part of your team," said Brooke.

"Sam? Callen? You know them?" Kensi said incredulously. When Brooke nodded her confirmation, Kensi asked softly, "And Deeks? Marty Deeks, the liaison from LAPD? You know him, too?"

"I'm his partner," Brooke answered quietly.

Kensi knew he would have a new partner by now, but she still felt a pang of hurt and longing in her heart.

"How is he?" she wondered aloud.

"For a while, not so good," admitted Brooke honestly. "He'd barely talk to me at all. Callen and Sam always said he was a clown, but he'd never joke. He wouldn't even smile."

Kensi rested her forehead in her hand, rubbing her temple in regret. "Oh, Deeks..."

"A couple months ago, I got him to talk about you," Brooke continued. "He got better after that, bit by bit. He's still not whole, but he's getting there."

"That's good," Kensi allowed a small smile. Then a thought occurred to her that put a lump in her throat. "Um...you and Deeks, are you...I don't know, together?"

Brooke laughed out loud despite herself. "No way! Marty's not my type. Besides...he's still waiting up for you, you know."

Kensi met Brooke's eyes, a serious question on her tongue. "Is he? Is he really?"

"Yeah," said Brooke. "Yeah, he is. He told me...that he loves you."

Kensi felt her face redden. "And I love him, too," she murmured. Then the former agent asked her junior, "I appreciate you coming, Brooklyn, but why did you find me?"

Brooke chose her words carefully. "I found you so that I can bring you back home."

Kensi shook her head right away. "I can't. Jack is there. He found me two years ago in L.A., and that's why I had to leave."

"I wouldn't worry about Jack," Brooke assured her. "LAPD picked him up about half a year ago for a liquor store robbery. I had Eric try and find him, but it turns out he's been in a county prison for six months."

Kensi's face softened and she buried her head in her hands. "I don't believe this," she whispered. "I don't believe this. He robbed a liquor store? He's in _prison_?"

"As soon as we found that out, Eric and Nell and I started to track you down," Brooke explained. "It took us nearly two months to find your alias. Boy, when you go deep, you go _really _deep, Kensi!"

Kensi almost didn't hear her. "I can go home?" she asked, tears trickling down her cheeks as she lifted her head.

"Yep!" Brooke grinned. "Everything's set. There's a position at OSP for you. I drove up here, and I can have you down at L.A. by tomorrow afternoon."

"Well, we have to get packing, then!" Kensi sprang to her feet and began to assemble random objects into a large pile she deemed 'pack'. Others she threw into a separate pile she called 'trash'.

As Brooke and Kensi rifled through the three rooms of the house, shoving things into suitcases and deciding they could call a moving truck for all of Kensi's stuff, Kensi turned to the rookie agent.

"Brooklyn?" she asked.

"Call me Brooke."

"Brooke, then," Kensi said. "I want to say thank you. Thank you for this. The one thing I've wanted all this time is that I could go home."

"No trouble," said Brooke, even though in fact it _had _been a fair bit of trouble breaking through to Kensi's alias, Natalie Sandler. "One more thing, Kensi."

"Yeah?"

"I forgot to mention...Deeks doesn't know we've been looking into this."

Kensi almost dropped the book she was placing into the 'pack' pile. "Are you serious?"

"We'll be surprising him."

Kensi had to smile at the thought. Nothing had ever sounded better.

Twenty-seven long hours later - seven getting Kensi's house packed out and cleaned, another five getting her affairs in order, another four to get much-needed sleep, two getting breakfast and lunch on the road, eight on the actual drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles, plus another hour in traffic - the pair pulled up in front of the OSP. Kensi was fidgeting in her seat, trying to contain her excitement, and Brooke had a seemingly-permanent grin plastered on her face.

"Let's go inside, then," Brooke said. Kensi threw open the door of Brooke's car and rushed into the NCIS building. Brooke followed quickly, not wanting to miss the reaction to Kensi's return.

A few of the workers called out in recognition. Sam and Callen, being aware of the plan, were loitering near the entrance to meet her. She hugged them, kissed both on the cheek, and asked how they'd been doing (of course, Brooke had already told her on the drive, but she still felt it right to ask them).

And then Deeks.

He had stiffened in his chair when he heard the commotion. That voice...he hadn't heard that lovely voice in so long. For a minute, Deeks wondered if he had fallen asleep as he did his paperwork and that maybe he was dreaming. Then he heard Brooke, his partner, also chatting it up with Callen and Sam. Deeks pinched his arm so hard he winced. He heard Kensi talking with his team. Their team. If this was a dream, he'd kill whoever or whatever woke him up.

Deeks jumped from his chair and whirled around towards the entrance. There she was. Same brown hair down to her shoulder-blades. Same eyes. Same laugh. Same Kensi.

"Kensi?" he whispered. Then, realizing she couldn't hear him, he shouted, "Kensi!"

She stopped talking, caught sight of him, and her smile disappeared. Tears poured down her face as he shot out of the bullpen. In less than a two seconds, she was in his arms, Brooke smiling broadly in the background.

"Deeks," she murmured, hugging him close. "Deeks. I'm home. I'm all right."

Deeks's own tears fell on her hair. "I love you, Kensi," he promised. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"I know," Kensi answered. "That's what I always missed the most."

She pulled away from him long enough to really kiss him - no cover, no professional need - for the first time. Afterwards, she settled back into an embrace.

Brooke stepped up to them and said, "Sorry to interrupt. I thought you'd both like to know that we've arranged for you two to be partners again."

"Really?" Kensi asked.

"Really?" repeated Deeks.

"Really," laughed Brooke.

"Brooke..." Callen looked at her in confusion. "But that means that you're-"

"-Leaving," Brooke finished, her smile diminishing only the slightest bit. "There's a team that needs me in Washington, D.C. How exciting is that?"

"Brooke, I can't let you just give up your job for me," Kensi insisted.

"It was yours all along," Brooke shrugged. "I hear Washington's fun, anyway. But guys...it's been a pleasure."

"Likewise," Sam said, shaking her hand.

"Till next time, Brookie Rookie," Callen said with a smirk. "Though admittedly, you're not so much a rookie anymore."

"I'll be glad to get away from the nicknames," laughed Brooke. She turned to Deeks.

"Brooke, I don't know how I can even say thanks," Deeks admitted. "This is the best thing anyone's ever done for me, no lie."

"Well, normally one says thanks like this," Brooke explained. "It starts with the 't-h' sound, then the 'a-n' sound, and then an 's'."

Deeks chuckled. "Don't let them tease you too hard in Washington, Brooke," he instructed her.

"Never," she assured him. "And I'll make sure we all meet again, don't worry."

"Washington's quite a ways from L.A.," Callen pointed out.

"I'll find time," Brooke grinned. "You guys haven't seen the last of me here. We'll meet again."

She pulled on a pair of dark sunglasses and said in her best Arnold Schwarzenegger imitation, "I'll be back."

With her co-workers laughing behind her and Kensi in Deeks's arms, Brooke walked out of the building to a new horizon. With any due luck, she _would _see the OSP team before it was all over.

"_So this is the ending," _she thought as she walked to her car. _"I like it. Maybe someone will make a summer blockbuster - the agent that came home, and the one who moved on to something new."_

* * *

**Can you tell that about halfway through the story, I realized I needed to make the story pertain more to the "we'll-meet-again"-style song I got for the theme of this one-shot? Please tell me how I did...I know I crammed the relevance to the song into the very end. Sorry for that.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this update took so long! I was on vacation for a while. Anyhow, here's what I plan to be the second-to-last chapter. After that, I'd like to start a couple short stories, maybe a series of song-fics based off of music I choose myself (with perhaps some suggestions from you awesome readers), and then perhaps a longer series. I haven't done a big project in a while. It'd be nice. Let me know in your reviews if you know of any K/D themes you'd like to see done. I might tke a suggestion or two and mesh them together.**

**Important note! This chapter is not in any way connected to the plot of the previous three chapters. Wanted to make sure that was understood.**

**Without further rambling, here's today's song.**

**Today, the shuffle option has given us...**

"**Fearless" by Taylor Swift**

**_I don't how it gets better than this_**

_**You take my hand and drag my head-first**_

_**Fearless**_

_**We're driving down the road**_

_**I wonder if you know**_

_**I'm trying so hard**_

_**Not to get caught up now**_

_**But you're just so cool**_

_**Run your hands through your hair**_

_**Absentmindedly making me want you.**_

**_(Oh my. This is one of those "I have this on my iPod still?" instances. Not a bad song. I guess I'm just a little surprised I got it for this chapter.)_**

* * *

"Does anyone else feel like they've spent the entire past twenty-four hours chasing down suspects?" asked the detective loudly from his desk. "Oh, wait. We have."

"Don't remind me," groaned Kensi as she crumpled a Twinkie wrapper to throw into the wastebasket.

A case that was too urgent to wait had come in yesterday evening just as everyone was preparing to leave. They'd worked around the clock to recover the stolen Navy secrets, and though they'd succeeded marvelously, the entire OSP centre was exhausted. After a hefty debriefing during which everyone tried to pay attention but ultimately failed, Hetty dismissed the team. Callen, Sam, Deeks, and Kensi had returned quickly to the bullpen to gather their belongings and head home.

"I'm sleeping in for the next three days," Deeks commented. "What about you guys?"

"I'll be here at 8:00 tomorrow," stated Sam firmly.

"Dude, you're coming to _work_?" Deeks asked in disbelief. "And you're coming to work _on time_?"

"No, he's coming in late," Callen corrected. "He's always in at 7:55. For Sam, that's a pretty big break."

Sam ignored their comments and left the building, Callen trailing after him and asking if he could bum a ride home. Sam replied with an answer that was some mix of the affirmative and a quip about needing to get paid for being a chauffeur to a grown man. The doors closed loudly behind them, leaving Deeks and Kensi alone in the bullpen. The liaison was trying to find his favorite pen in his desk drawers using only the dim luminosity of the overhead lighting.

"See you tomorrow, Deeks," Kensi said with a yawn.

"Didn't you hear me say that I'm gonna sleep for a few days first?" Deeks called after her as she left.

"Do that, and your wages are going to hit a low, shaggy boy."

"It'll be worth it. Are you sure you don't want to do the same thing?"

Kensi turned back to give him a look. She felt it necessary to frequently remind him of how ridiculous she thought he was.

"Night, Deeks," she said finally.

"Don't forget your umbrella. It's still raining."

"I'm waterproof."

"Good point. But I happen to like to protect my fluffy hair. It's hard to keep it this way, you know."

"I bet."

Deeks found his pen as she closed the OSP centre's door behind her. He stuck the utensil into the front pocket of his messenger bag, gathered up his navy blue and folded umbrella, and left as well. As he climbed into the safe dryness of his car and shook out the water from his umbrella, he noticed a figure moving in the parking lot. He heard swearing, then watched the figure get into the car and start the engine. It made a sick rumbling noise, then sputtered out with a cough. Deeks heard the voice, feminine, curse again as the woman climbed out. The detective had to smile as he opened the driver's side door again and opened his umbrella. In a few quick strides across the paved lot, he was standing beside the familiar car of the even-more-familiar figure.

"Fern, it's been forever!"

Kensi didn't look that surprised to see him. "It's been five minutes, Deeks," she informed him, as if he didn't already know. "You have separation issues."

"You want a separation?" Deeks joked with faked hurt. "Next, it'll be a divorce."

"You are _so _annoying," Kensi shook her head, hoping her damp hair would hide her smile. But the corners of her mouth dropped into a frown as she kicked the rear tire of her car in frustration. "Almost as annoying as this stupid thing."

"Car trouble?" Deeks guessed.

"Needed to solve that mystery, did you?"

"I'm a detective. It's what I do," said Deeks. "So. Any idea what's wrong with this car?"

"It just keeps quitting on me," Kensi replied. "Any jumper cables on you, Deeks?"

"Uh..." Deeks looked sheepish. "Well..."

"What kind of driver doesn't carry _jumper cables_?"

"The kind that utilized them as curtain ties."

"You have got to be kidding."

"I'm a bachelor, let me remind you."

Deeks scratched his unkept hair in thought. Kensi smiled a little at its *unique* styling (meaning no styling at all). For a while since she met him, she'd wanted nothing mroe to comb it. She found now that she was rather fond of its messiness.

Deeks suggested, "Well, it's pouring out here. Let me give you a ride home, and we can come back to your car tomorrow."

Kensi was about to give an answer that exhibited her stubbornness and vehement independence when she involuntarily yawned and shivered. Deeks pulled her farther under his dark-colored umbrella, putting them suddenly in a close proximity. Kensi noticed this and squirmed. Deeks noticed this and grinned.

"Hm, well, this is reminding me of several gooey romance flicks," he said thoughtfully.

"I find it odd that you watch that many gooey romance flicks," answered Kensi without missing a beat.

"Only enough to know that this is when you confess your undying love for me, and I do the same thing, and then we kiss, and then the movie ends. And maybe the jerk ex-boyfriend or girlfriend gets their face dunked in a bowl of sauerkraut, but that wasn't really as common a factor."

Kensi laughed at his joke, but stopped upon examining the rest of the comment, was surprised at his suggestion. Both fell silent as the rain angrily pounded the pavement. Deeks's mind raced and scrambled for what he should say to her while he had the perfect chance, and Kensi's mind only wondered if she should take the chance at all. She certainly wanted to, but what would be the outcome? Hadn't Deeks just practically said that he loved her? Or was it a comparison that was void of any additional meaning?

"I, um..." Deeks mumbled, his eyes trying to meet hers but always pulling away at the last minute. He was so tired of this, so tired of backing out of this confession. With renewed determination, he continued, "Kensi, you know that I..."

"...offered to give me a ride home," Kensi finished, making Deeks's heart sink. Hers did as well, and she wished already that she'd finished the sentence with the words she had wanted to say. But there wasn't a way to go back now that she'd turned him away.

So she continued, "Yeah, that was nice of you. Thanks. Let's go; I'm cold."

She was just about to pull Deeks along towards his car when she caught his blue eyes. They startled her with their regret and longing. He really felt hurt in this moment. She could see a wish in his eyes, could hear the words on his tongue that he had been about to say, could feel his long-built desire. All these things, they both shared. Swallowing her pride, Kensi looked at Deeks and saw a man, rubbed raw down to a simple but strong love for a single person. It was as shocking as the blue of his eyes.

"Deeks," she murmured. "I'm sorry, I..." Did she dare admit it? "I was scared."

"Scared?" he repeated. "Wonder Woman got _scared_? Of a _surfer_?"

"Not of you," admitted Kensi. "I guess, of myself. If that makes sense. I'm scared to feel this way."

Deeks moved close enough so that the fabric of their jacket sleeves brushed.

"And exactly what way is that?" Deeks asked. "And before you answer...you don't need to be scared. It's me. I got your back, you know that."

"Right," Kensi nodded, took a deep breath, and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

What she said? Well...that was for him from her, not for anybody else. We'll leave it up to you to decide those words. But whatever it was, it brought the broadest grin to Deeks's face that anyone had ever seen.

When she finished and pulled away, Deeks asked, "Really?"

"No, I was kidding," Kensi rolled her eyes. "Duh, really."

"So sum it up for me."

"I love you. Now are you gonna give me your answer or not, Deeks?"

"Oh, sure, yeah. I love you, too, because you're the most stubborn and the toughest woman I've ever met. And the most beautiful. And the smartest. And the most clever. And the-"

"I get the idea," Kensi laughed. "Thanks."

"So."

"So," she repeated. "So now what?"

"Well, like I said, this is usually when the two main characters kiss," Deeks explained.

"I guess it is, isn't it?"

"Are you gonna punch me when I do?"

"I swear I'll try to restrain myself, Deeks."

Holding the umbrella with one hand and Kensi's hand with the other, Deeks leaned down and met her lips. She wrapped her free arm around his neck, her wet hair dripping on the pavement. When they parted, Kensi knew she was blushing.

In an attempt to draw attention away from the red coloring her face, she asked, "So...end credits?"

"That depends. Is there a jerk ex-boyfriend that needs to get his face shoved into a bowl of sauerkraut?"

"I'll cut Jack a break. What about you; any exes you'd care to mention?"

"I can think of about half a dozen I'd like to see have condiments smeared on their faces, yeah."

Kensi laughed and kissed him again.

And about fifteen meters away, in a dark car, there sat two agents.

"We're not going to tell them we've been trying to find your keys for the past ten minutes, are we, Sam?"

"Nope."

"And we're not going to tell them that we saw that, are we?"

"Nope."

"And we're _really _not going to tell them you have a dash cam in this thing, are we?"

"Definitely nope."

* * *

**Just one more chapter after this! Let me know what you think! Thanks. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, I just finished Camp NaNoWriMo (a non-fan-fiction challenge) so I have time again to write as much fan-fiction as I'd like! Anyways, here's the last one-shot. If I could get some feedback on my first-ever song-fic series, I'd be extremely grateful. And suggestions would be great, too! What kinds of things have you been dying to see on NCIS: LA? Note: I don't do Kensi/Callen pairings. Sorry, guys. Let me know any suggestions you have in your reviews, please. PM-ing is disabled for me.**

**Another note: This chapter isn't related to any previous chapters. I mean, you *could* hypothetically link them. But it could also be completely independent. It all depends on your point of view. ^_^**

**Last song: "Life After You" by Daughtry **

**_Believe me I won't stop at nothin'_**

_**To see you so I've started runnin'**_

_**All that I'm after is a life full of laughter**_

_**As long as I'm laughin' with you**_

_**I'm thinkin' that all that still matters is love ever after**_

_**After the life we've been through**_

_**'Cause I know there's no life after you**_

_(Wow, a post-breakup song. 0_o I hoped the day would never come. Oh well. Challenge accepted.)_

* * *

There was a photo of her hanging off the dashboard mirror in his car. As he left her apartment, climbed into his vehicle, and slammed the driver's door behind him, that smiling photograph was the last thing he wanted to see. He tore it down off the mirror, stuffed it in the glovebox, and drove off. As Deeks accelerated down the highway five minutes later, he found that his prideful anger had started to lose its force. As his steam burned off, it condensed to tears, and as much as he hated to cry, he couldn't help it.

Memories of slipping that ring on her finger, asking that question, hearing that answer, flooded him. They were so recent, so fresh in his mind. They were going to be married in a nice chapel next month, had picked out the flowers and the music and the guests and the wedding party. They'd laughed and joked about how neither of them were very good with planning weddings. They didn't care, though. It wasn't a big, flashy, perfect wedding that counted - it was the marriage that came out of it. The wedding could be as low-key as they wanted, as long as it was a wedding in a chapel and they were a married couple.

Deeks remembered those pictures of houses they'd been looking at. At Deeks's pleading, Kensi had consented to choosing a beach house. They'd just met with the owner of the house on Monday. That was three days ago. How had he gone from visiting his fiancee at her apartment with a box of chocolates to leaving her in such a short time?

_Leaving her_. Gosh darn it, that was such a horrible term. It made him sound like he didn't love her, when in fact his entire heart belonged to her. _Leaving her_? Yeah, right!

...However, a voice inside his head quietly protested, _"But that's what you did, isn't it? You left."_

Well, that depended on what you meant by "left".

"_You argued, you cursed, you got angry, you stormed out. End of story. You left."_

Thought Deeks, "But she made me so...mad!"

"_What, you think she feels any better than you do? Think about this, Deeks."_

Deeks was speaking aloud now. "Think about this? It's not like this is worse for her than it is for-oh, man. Oh man. Oh man. _Oh man_."

He made the realization that this wasn't the first time a fiancee had left Kensi at about the same time he also realized that his car started smoking. Some of the "oh man"s were about her, and some were about the worrisome amounts of grey smoke that billowed out from under his hood. Deeks pulled to the side of the road. It was a small route, practically a hiking trail, that ran alongside the sea. Not a soul was in sight.

"Great," Deeks muttered as he put the parking brake on and stepped out of the vehicle. Upon opening the hood, he was greeted with a ridiculous amount of smoke, just like in a cartoon. Deeks, deciding there was no way he'd be able to pinpoint what was wrong with the stupid car (that was more Kensi's forte), stuck his hand into his pocket and felt for his cellphone. He found nothing and swore. Of course, because when one is arguing with their fiancee and leaves the house in a bout of anger, they're bound to remember to pick their cellphone off the counter.

So now he was stuck on the side of the road, with no way to call anyone. He sighed in frustration, climbed onto the roof of his car, and sat down. As he watched the sea, he made himself think about the argument he and Kensi had gotten into only about an hour ago. What had they been yelling about? Kids? That was it. Kensi had brought up the idea having kids once they got married. Deeks had liked the idea, but he'd admitted that he was nervous to be a father. His own less-than-ideal childhood had intimidated him. That was where the argument had begun - that according to her, he "would be a much better father than Deeks's father"; Deeks had countered with a "how do you know"; Kensi had persisted in saying, "you're not that heartless", and they'd gone on and on. He'd finally left, unable to stand yelling anymore. He'd paid no attention to the tears on _her _face, the hurt in _her _eyes, the trembling in _her _hands. He'd thought only of the tears on _his _face, the hurt in _his _eyes, the trembling in _his _hands. And that, Deeks realized, must have been his greatest mistake.

But what now? He couldn't just drive back there and apologize, for two reasons: 1) at the moment, with his car spitting smoke, he couldn't drive, and 2) he wasn't sure her pride would hear an apology. Not from him. And not so soon.

So he just sat there, staring at the ocean, and waiting. For what, he wasn't sure. He could always just walk to the nearest gas station - he knew this road by heart and there was one not even a mile away from here. But somehow, he found it move favorable just to sit on the roof of his car and watch the sun make its routine descent towards the horizon.

He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he heard a voice.

"I guess it's safe to say you're really having car trouble this time and aren't going to use me as a wingman."

He had to be imagining that. _Her, _looking for _him_? After a fight as big as the one they'd had? Impossible. But he cracked open his eyelids and there she was, her car pulled up and parked in front of his on the side of the road. Kensi herself was standing at the hood of the car, looking steadily up at where he lay on top of his vehicle. Judging by the waning light, he hadn't been asleep all too long.

"The one-liner jokes are usually mine," he murmured sleepily, sitting up and staring down at her.

"Well, today is full of surprises," Kensi said, breaking their gaze and shrugging. He offered his fiancee a hand and pulled her up to sit on the car roof next to him.

"How'd you find me?" he asked softly.

"How did I find you?" she repeated. "Deeks, this is your favorite ocean road. Completely predictable. You really _don't _think well when you're mad, do you?"

"A wise woman once said: dogs get mad, people get angry," Deeks informed her. A ghost of a smile flickered across her face, and Deeks took that as his cue to grin, too. Just making her smile gave him a comfortable old feeling.

Both of them were silent for a moment. Deeks decided that when he loved someone so much, like he did with Kensi, he couldn't afford his foolish pride. So he said, with all due earnestness, "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, too," she sighed. "Really, Deeks, I mean it."

Silence settled in again. Kensi asked, "Deeks, do you know why I love you?"

Oh, Deeks liked topics like this one. "Because I'm charming? Funny? Handsome? Witty?"

"I love you because you're all of the above," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "You're Deeks."

"Which is pretty much a synonym for every endearing quality known to humankind."

"And apparently, arrogance."

"Ouch. A point for the K-Team."

"Who's keeping score?"

Deeks pulled her in for a real kiss. "No one," he murmured. "Not anymore."

They sat there for a long time as the sun's light gave into that of the moon. Kensi shivered in an ocean breeze, and Deeks helped her off the roof of this car.

"I guess I should bring you back to your house," he suggested, then remembered that his car was still incapacitated. With a laugh, he agreed to let Kensi drive him to his house in her car.

They pulled up in front of his nearby apartment, he thanked her, kissed her goodnight, and got out of the car. Before he closed it, however, he remembered he had something to add.

"Hey, Kensi," he mentioned casually. "What if, after we got married, we decided to have kids?"

Kensi grinned broadly and replied, "There's an idea."

Deeks closed the door and started to walk to the entrance of his apartment building. Having an extra thought, Kensi rolled down the automatic window on the passenger side.

"Deeks!" she called. He stopped and turned around. "You'll make a great father."

Deeks smiled and let her drive away. This time, he actually believed her when she said that. As he slept that night, he dreamt of mutant ninja assassins -

- and what he and his bride would name them.

* * *

**Be completely honest - opinions? Thank you and I hope you enjoyed this five-piece song-fic series! -V.**


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